UP prepares for Colorado infrastructure upgrades worth $70.9 million

Union Pacific Railroad will spend $70.9 million this year to improve rail track and bridges in Colorado, the Class I announced yesterday.

The announcement is one of a series of state-by-state plans that UP has been rolling out as part of its list of $3.7 billion worth of infrastructure projects it has planned for its rail network this year.

UP's key investments in Colorado will include:• A $16.7 million project to replace 36 miles of rail in Garden City, Greeley and Windsor; • A $5.9 million project to replace more than 43,000 railroad ties and install 29,000 tons of ballast on the rail line between Columbine, Castle Rock and Palmer Lake; and • A $5.6 million project to replace more than 31,000 ties and install 23,900 tons of ballast between Pueblo and Trinidad.

UP has spent about $123 million between 2011 to 2015 on its rail network in Colorado, UP officials said in a press release.